I just attended my last BSF class/lecture for the year. I’ve finished Lesson 30 questions but am still left kicking things around in my head.
The Lesson focused on what we all got out of it. As I’m thinking on this, I know but I don’t know. I know it’s impacted me but I’m not for sure how much. I would be curious to see what those closest to me think. I think I’m going to ask my husband some of these questions when he gets back home.
This also leaves me wondering what God has gotten out of this. Did He gain some new followers? Did some accept Jesus and thus earn eternal rewards through BSF’s study? Did God cheer us on during the woes and during the promises? Did God get some chuckles from listening to us stumble our way through this at times?
What about me? What has God gotten out of this in terms of me? How has He used this in me? Am I a better person, stronger believer, more Christ-like?
I would like to say yes, but in truth I’m unsure. I look at things from, well, my perspective. I can’t see myself like others can and definitely not like God can.
There is something churning in my heart I just can’t pinpoint. BSF ended. But God never ends. I carry Him with me wherever I go. He keeps knocking even when I’ve shut the door.
Somehow saying, “I learned…..blank….” isn’t quite cutting it for me.
How about you?
Hi Atozmom,
I don’t spend too much time thinking about the BSF questions that you are raising. I just trust God that “…He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)
I pray for a miracle for you, Atozmom, that you will be able to continue on with BSF. As you stay in the Word, God will continue to work. You may not see any changes in yourself, but other people will.
I was going to start Isaiah with Kay Arthur tonight, when the Lord redirected me. I stumbled across an audio sermon by Dr. R.C. Sproul, from “Renewing Your Mind” where he gives an overview of Isaiah. It was excellent and under half an hour in length. It is too bad he isn’t teaching the entire book chapter by chapter and verse by verse. But it did show me that I got a lot more out of BSF than I realized. …somehow God got through my brain fog! 🙂
Enjoy!
Hi and Hugs Atoz.
I can’t say what I learned this year in Isaiah because I stopped going to BSF about half way (as I think you know and why). Just one of those seasons of life. It will come around again and hopefully your archives will be here still.
What I wanted to respond to is…”the churning in your heart”. Those words give me this feeling of..a kind of restlessness in you. And in my experience, that’s what spiritual growth feels like. Some things are very clear. You know more about the geography, for instance, so that is something you’ve learned, that’s easily identifiable, right?
When most people read the Bible and we get one with maps, I’d guess most of us don’t use them. I names of people and towns are in a kind of foreign language. They feel awkward and confusing and can seem insignificant. What difference does it make if I know where Persia is or who’s fighting who for what land?
It doesn’t seem like all that pertains to me or knowing God better.
But there’s that churning thing. The Holy Spirit is rototilling. And in the rototilling there’s added compost and seeds. How long the seed takes to actually grow…and produce fruit…eh…that’s a God and you (and the same for all of us) question.
And just in case you didn’t know this (but I suspect you do :-)…God isn’t big on instant gratification. He’s very content to know the seed is there. He knows what it needs to grow. He knows how much compost,fertilizer and water it needs. God’s very patient. Obviously,look at me.
When your heart is churning…it isn’t hard any more. It’s dirt is softening some, cracks are being reworked..it’s a little more receptive to seed than it was a year ago.
What God gets out of it? You. Ta Dah. That’s it. He hopes that you’ll grow and let him use you because he really needs you for something. I wouldn’t begin to know what..but he needs you. There’s something you can do that no one else can.
You know Atoz, even though geography and directions give me head cramps…I know at this point that God didn’t put things in the Bible for fun. He’s very deliberate and things have order and purpose. Sometimes it becomes clear a lot of years later. Like knowing how Jesus had to travel to be right where the Samaritan woman would be.
But sometimes, I feel like it’s about comfort. Weird I know. As I struggle through the head cramps to figure out locations and some of it gets through (praise God!)…I’m eventually more at ease. I know where I’m going… I travel as Moses travelled. I travel as Jesus travelled.
When we first enter the Bible it seems like gobbly-gook. Like when you first move somewhere really foreign to you. Like me coming from New York to Illinois. Where’s the main street? You eat at McDonalds because your recognize it. Every thing seems tense because you’re unsure. It takes awhile before you know the little hole in the wall place that has the BEST Pizza EVER.
Does any of this make sense? LOL.
I focused on geography, I know, but it applies to all spiritual growth. It starts as a seed that has to fall on fertile soil. It has to be cared for by God to flourish. we have to be willing to let him plant and rototill. And growth and familiarity and fruit…all take time.
I don’t know if this made sense and I’m not going to re-read it and edit it a gazillion times..but I’ve always heard about having a clean heart…and that image has never worked for me personally, though I know what they mean by it. Yes, I want a clean heart. But I get this image of white walls and clear glass and a red pretty bow. For me, the image that works is a dirt heart.
One that was hard and self sufficient. It had blood running through it and functioned. But the Holy Spirit came in and cracks started to show. But in the cracks, was an opening to deeper things and God brought in pick axes of knowledge and people’s words and the Bible to begin the rototilling of Nancy.
Seeds are planted by God…via his word…someone else…a song…whatever.
When finally something grows…YA HOO! But more importantly, when it finally has good roots and produces fruit…then the fruit means I have something I can GIVE to someone else. And the more we give it, the more we have.
But you know that already. :-).
It’s simply just important to know churning of the heart is a good thing. Just trust God’s rototilling.
I need sleep. 🙂
Much love,
Nancy
Nancy, I love your “dirt” heart and how you think. I’m about to work on my last BSF lesson for the year and I fear it’s going to be a “dome light” one for me. We had out of state company all week and there was no time to sit down and THINK. I get the lesson a day early and read the notes so that’s not an issue. God truly has gotten each one of us…dirtier, softer, hopefully more fertile soil, more willing to allow ourselves to be pruned, shaped, planted, or whatever HE needs to do in us and for us each day. So glad that AtoZ has so generously opened up HER heart to us this year and through this study. Just wanted to drop and let you know it spoke to me…
Praise Our Mighty Father because after i have gone through Isaiah it opens my eyes that i have to seek his presence more and i should not just allocate him time which is his by the way! I am not yet perfect but the promise that He will always be with us is encouraging. Being a leader am feeling as part of me is being pulled out as am going to loose all my ladies and am worried if the new ones will bond with me!! all I leave to God but our human bodies and mind question. God bless for being there for me.
As you say, “God never ends.” A group of 18 met during 4 years of BSF continue to meet monthly during summer at someone’s home…bring a dish and “Carry Him” with us through-out the summer. Open group…the more to share in God’s name. We don’t follow BSF rules…such as grandchildren are welcome. Enjoy all your comments, esp. book references for my 8-year old twin grandsons.
I agree, I have a huge spiritual growth this year. I don’t think its all due to BSF but they had a big part. So to put into words my growing relationship with Christ and what he has reveled to me is impossible. He has not gifted me with eloquent words and explanations. One thing I can say that my 4 year old accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and savior and that is due in big part to what he learns in BSF, the Childrens Ministry is so important. He has been sick this past weekend and asked for prayer twice, again his is 4. Then my two year old seen a picture of Jesus on my computer and he asked me “who is that” I said “Jesus” and he said “I love Jesus” no prompting. As a matter of fact I don’t ever remember telling my 2 year old that I loved Jesus. Its amazing! It also made me realize the places of improvement in my own church and suggestions that I can make to hopefully make a difference. So to ask “What did you learn from Isaiah?” as if it is a history question really doesn’t work. You’ll SEE what I learned in Isaiah in my life and the life of my kids but to just tell you is much harder. :}
My take away from the year has been: Isaiah 55:6
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. There will not always be another chance to share the truth with neighbors, friends or loved ones. We need to be willing to step out in faith & share it now. When we studied that verse I kept thinking how the door of the ark stood open until the LORD closed it and then the time had passed for that generation. Let us be faithful in our duty to our own generation.
I am only up to Lesson 22 so far. Sister, you have shared and walked with me a long way. My wife finished BSF cycle some years ago. I am into the second lap already. It is always like that – at the end of the studies or lesson, what is the current relationship you are with God, ask oneself critically and frank with the answer. In some of the years I felt laping joy, some years not. This the is study that I soldier on with a last dash. My other ministry commitment and the possibility of administering to ailing parents may stop me from participating actively next Feburary onwards. If that is so, I will sure miss those supporting brothers that walked with me for years. But in Him, I understand and treasure the fullness of promises that He has given me over the years of studying His words.
Be encouraged that the future may appear a bit foggy at times, but our Lord is the Light and this light will shine through with the direction like a beacon.